1. What is a robot
The anatomy of a robot
What is meant by ‘Degrees of Freedom’
What makes a robot intelligent
2. Robots are machines which are used in industry to
perform a range of tasks.
There are two types of robots:
• Stationary Robots
• Mobile Robots
3. An industrial robot is ‘a
reprogrammable, multi-functional
manipulator designed to move
material, parts, tools or specialised
devices through various
programmed motions for the
performance of a variety of tasks’.
4. Industrial robots are comprised of three
parts:
◦ The manipulator – this is the moving ‘arm’ to
which various end-effectors/tools can be
attached.
◦ The power supply – usually a hydraulic
compressor (for robots that need lots of
strength) or electrical generator (for lightweight
robots).
◦ The controlling computer – which controls the
robot.
5. These are fixed in one spot to perform their task, eg. a robot
arm stationed at the side of a conveyor belt in a factory in
order to weld parts onto a car body; a robot arm used to
spray paint body parts; a robot arm used to pick
mushrooms.
6. This is the tool fitted to the end of the arm. This can
be changed for different jobs, for example, a gripper
to pick up objects, a spray gun to spray a car with
paint, a magnet to lift
metal objects, a
screwdriver, a welding
gun and so on.
7. Most robotic arms have the same basic structure:
Waist
Shoulder
Elbow
Wrist
8. This is a measure of the number of movements which
the joints can move.
This example has 6 degrees of freedom
Waist
Shoulder
Elbow
Wrist – pitch
Wrist – Yaw
Wrist - Roll
9. In your jotters, draw and label an arm robot
Indicate the different movements that the robot arm
can make.
10. What is a mobile robot
Types of mobile robot
How mobile robots are guided
11. Sometimes robots need to move from one location to
another (e.g. robotic fork lift trucks in an automated
warehouse).
These robots require self-contained power sources
(e.g. batteries) and additional autonomy (i.e. the
ability to make simple decisions based on limited
information).
12. They are often fitted with wheels or tracks and are
powered by electric motors to enable them to move
about.
A mobile robot might be used for transporting dangerous
chemicals inside a chemical plant, or disabling a bomb.
15. The two main methods which make robots move are:
magnetic guidance systems
Light guidance systems
16. A cable is set into the floor which gives off a magnetic
field. The robot is fitted with magnetic sensors which can
detect a magnetic field and feed the data back to the
processor. The processor adjusts the motors controlling
the wheels to make sure the robot travels along the path
set by the magnetised cable.
17. A path for a robot is set by a white line painted on the
factory floor. The robot is fitted with a light source which
shines light directly onto the white line. Sensors on either
side of the light source detect and measure the amount of
light being reflected off the floor. Data is then fed to the
computer. If the robot strays to the left of the line, the
readings on the left sensor fall and the processor then sends
control signals to the motor to correct the course of the
robot.
18. They are controlled by software which is processed
either by microprocessors fitted to, for example, the
mobile robot or by a central computer.
The software programs are written in a high level
language known as a control language. This is usually
held in ROM.
Storing it in ROM makes it immediately accessible to
the processor as well as making it unalterable.
19. Some control languages allow the user to ‘teach’ a robot
how to do a particular task by ‘leading it through’ the
series of steps required to complete the task.
contents
20. Because Automated Systems are programmable it
makes them flexible and can be reprogrammed to carry
out a range of tasks.
If a robot arm were required to
stop spraying paint and to begin
lifting objects onto a conveyor
belt, the end-effector would be
changed and a new program
loaded with suitable instructions.
21. Intelligent robots are ones which have:
Powerful on-board processors
Their own memory
An expert/knowledge system which allows them to
learn from their mistakes
A variety of sensors that allow them to interact with the
environment and even with other robots:
◦ Cameras to see
◦ Pressure sensors
◦ Humidity and temperature sensors etc.
22. ASIMO is an intelligent robot.
Find out what features Asimo has that make it an
intelligent robot.
23. Robots are here to stay, in one way or another.
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